“Then we’ll travel only at night,” Alessia insists. “That way, we’ll never be asleep when the monsters are out prowling.”
My gut twists into a knot. As smart as that plan is, I can’t help but get a bad feeling about this. I understand we need to travel alone to appear as a peaceful delegation of royals—traveling with common adventurers is improper etiquette and taken as a sign of disrespect—but the risks are high. The Wendigo Forest has been getting more dangerous every year. At least one adventurer is slain every month by the monsters that lurk within the shadows of those ancient trees.
I take one look at Alessia’s face, though, and know that it’s no use to protest. Her jaw is set. Her mind is clearly made up, and she’s ready for a fight if one comes her way. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she’s looking for a real fight.
Who am I to stop her? She’s Queen of Celestia, after all.
“Well, what’s the harm in tempting a little danger?” I say, putting my arm around Alessia. “If she says she can take them on, then she can take them on. I don’t need another beat down to know what she’s capable of.”
Alessia glances up at me appreciatively, and I nearly melt into my shoes. Her face is too cute when she’s looking up at me like that! She looks way smaller with my arm around her, and her head tilted back at the perfect angle for a kiss—
Wait, what?! No! Now is not the time!
I suddenly feel the need for another freezing cold shower. I stand there, kicking myself for getting anywhere near Alessia as Daelia finishes speaking.
“Alright, then. We’ll head into the Wendigo Forest, just the three of us. I’ll do most of the monster hunting, but I’ll leave one for you, Alessia,” Daelia promises, her smile returning. “I’ll meet you outside the stables in two hours. Pack lightly.”
“We will,” Alessia promises.
She doesn’t remove my arm as we exit the Church and head back for the palace. I can already tell this is going to be a long, embarrassing, and unfortunately enjoyable trip to our allied nations.
Chapter eleven
Alessia
Ifeel like I’m going to suffocate if I keep holding my breath like this.
Aurelio taught me how to saddle up a horse, and as fun as it is to ride horseback all this way, I’m still terrified of being in control of this giant thing. Feeling every bump in the road is one thing when I’m walking on my own two feet; it’s a whole other thing when I’m feeling it secondhand through an animal that I don’t quite trust not to trip and crush me in the process.
My hands keep going numb around the reins because I’m gripping them so hard. I have to hold back a shriek every time my horse, Aticus, lurches, and then I have to bite my tongue to hold back a snap at Aurelio for laughing at me. He’s laying back in his saddle, practically taking a nap on Cricket’s back while she trots along. Daelia seems equally at ease perched atop her midnight black stallion, Luca.
Me, on the other hand? My muscles are locked up so tightly, I’m sure that poor Aticus is getting squeezed to death between my knees. The horse has to be sick of my constant overreactions by now.
Still, it’s been a thankfully uneventful journey so far. We left only a couple hours ago, and the sun is still high in the sky. We plan to take a nap a few hours before sunset, then to travel through the rest of the night. We should arrive on the border of Krasta, our ally to the southwest, within a week at the rate we’re traveling.
Instead of torturing myself with anxiety, I try to pay attention to the wildlife around me. I’ve never been in the Wendigo Forest before, so this is a novel experience for me. I’ve heard so many horror stories about what happens between these trees that I’m surprised to see such a magical, beautiful place before me.
Colorful birds sing to each other from the leafy green boughs above, their songs echoing across the gentle slopes of the forest. Sunlight filters through the tree canopy in large swathes of golden light. In the early afternoon sunlight, it appears as though beams of holy light pierce the shade of the trees. I spot many shade-dwelling species of flowers near tree roots, including some I’ve only seen in the secret garden back home. Their fragrant scents drift by on the gentle breeze; when I breathe them in, some of the tension finally releases from my body, and I can forget for a moment that I’m on horseback.
“This doesn’t seem like a place where monsters dwell,” I remark.
Daelia glances over her shoulder, a slight smirk on her face. “Just wait until nightfall. You’ll understand what I’m talking about then.”
The way she says that has me shuddering. Still, looking around at butterflies fluttering from flower to flower, I listen to the melody of the forest life singing softly, and I struggle to imagine this place as a site of unholy evil. The deer don’t even flee in terror when we pass by; they simply move away, their tails flicking, as if more annoyed than scared of our interruption in their daily grazing.
How can this place be the site of so many deaths? It looks like a woodland paradise.
I wipe the sweat from my brow, feeling the heat become oppressive around the fourth hour of our journey. I’m glad I had Mina tie my hair back into a braid before we left; I’m sweating profusely just sitting here on my horse. I’m sure Aticus doesn’t appreciate the heat, either, judging by his slight pants as he trots. His body feels like fire against my skin.
“Should we stop to give them some water?” I ask.
“No, not yet. They can go for a couple more hours before they need a break,” Aurelio says.
“Don’t they overheat easily, though?”
“They sweat, just like us. Haven’t you noticed?”
In truth, I haven’t. I’ve been sweating enough for the both of us. When I look down at Aticus’ sides, though, sure enough, his coat is shiny with horse sweat. I wrinkle my nose.
